Texas Attainment Status by Region
Information about the areas of Texas that violate national ambient air quality standards.
This page contains information on the areas of Texas that are deemed in “nonattainment” or “near nonattainment” of National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).
What are Texas’ nonattainment areas?
Nonattainment areas are areas that have failed to meet federal standards for ambient air quality. Near nonattainment areas currently meet federal standards but are at risk of violating standards.
Texas meets federal air quality standards with the following exceptions: (1) carbon monoxide and particulate matter in El Paso; and (2) eight-hour ground-level ozone in Houston-Galveston-Brazoria, Dallas–Fort Worth and Beaumont–Port Arthur. Maintenance areas are areas that were once designated in nonattainment of federal standards, but which have since been redesignated in attainment of those standards.
Texas also has three Early Action Compact Areas: Austin, San Antonio, and Northeast Texas. These are areas that have submitted EAC plans which on November 17, 2004 were utilized to develop SIP strategies to reduce emission standards to meet the eight-hour ozone standard by 2007. Please visit the Early Action Compact (EAC) Plans Web page for more information on EACs.
Click on the links below for additional information on each area:
| Nonattainment Area | Counties | Classification | Attainment Date Required by EPA |
| Eight-Hour Ozone Nonattainment Areas | |||
| Houston-Galveston-Brazoria (HGB) | Brazoria Chambers Fort Bend Galveston Harris Liberty Montgomery Waller |
Severe | June 15, 2019 |
| Dallas–Fort Worth (DFW) | Collin Dallas Denton Tarrant Ellis Johnson Kaufman Parker Rockwall |
Moderate | June 15, 2010 |
| Beaumont–Port Arthur (BPA) | Hardin Jefferson Orange |
Moderate | June 15, 2010 |
| Ozone Early Action Compact (EAC) Areas | |||
| Austin–San Marcos (AUS) | Travis Williamson Bastrop Hays Caldwell |
Attainment | December 31, 2007 |
| San Antonio (SA) | Bexar Comal Guadalupe Wilson |
Attainment | December 31, 2007 |
| Northeast Texas (NET) | Rusk Smith Upshur Gregg Harrison |
Attainment | December 31, 2007 |
| Carbon Monoxide (CO) Nonattainment Areas | |||
| El Paso (ELP) | El Paso | Maintenance | N/A |
| Particulate Matter 10 (PM10) Nonattainment Areas | |||
| El Paso (ELP) | El Paso | Moderate | December 31, 1994 |
Map of Texas’ Nonattainment and Near Nonattainment Areas
Click on the map for more information about each area.
What about the PM2.5 standard?
In 2007, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) revised the NAAQS for PM2.5. Based on monitoring data from 2004 to 2006, all areas in Texas showed attainment for this standard. On December 18, 2007, the Governor of Texas sent a letter to the EPA recommending that all areas of Texas be designated attainment for the PM2.5 standard of less than or equal to 35 micrograms per cubic meter. The Governors letter, the commissions resolution, and the supporting data are provided. For more information regarding PM in Texas, see TCEQs web page on Particulate Matter.
The EPA established annual and 24-hour NAAQS for PM2.5 for the first time in 1997 to address data indicating that these small particles, which can penetrate more deeply into the lung, may pose greater health risks than larger particles. Based on monitoring data from 2000 to 2002, all areas in Texas showed attainment for this standard. On February 13, 2004, the Governor of Texas sent a letter to the EPA recommending that all areas of Texas be designated attainment for the PM2.5 standard. The EPA did not designate any region of Texas in nonattainment for this standard. For more information on this standard, see the EPA’s Web page on PM2.5 NAAQS Implementation